church



(No Model.)

W. C. CHURCH.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

PatentedvJa'n. 24, 1888.

Wakeamar v I llNrrnn STATES,

PA ENT U F WALTER ,o. CHURCH, or BRIXTON, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALFTO HENRY, SMITH, or SAME PLACE.

. I BOTTLE-STOPPER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,977, datedJanuary 24, 1888. g Application filed October 25, 1887. Serial No. 253.352. (NomodelJ Patented in England January 12.- 1837. No, I

To all whom it may concern: v Be it known'that I, WALTER CHARLES CHURCH, acitizen of England, residing'at 6 Trinity Square, Brixton, in the county of Surrey, England,-have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stoppers for Bott les, Jars, and other Vessels, (for which I have obtained apatentin Great Britain, dated January 12, 1887, No. 522,)of which the following ternal atmospherewithout injury to the con For this purpose I make the plug or tents.

stopper wholly or partly of' caoutchoue or equivalent elastic material, with a head in the form of a hollow ball or bulb, andwith either I a plug part to enter the mouth of the vessel valves,or made so as to act as valves, opening the one inward and the other outward. The bulb then, being compressed and allowed to dilate several times, acts as an air-pump, ex-

hausting to a certain extent the vessel to which it is applied. When a considerable degree of exhaustion is desired, I place within the bulb a spring, which causes it to dilate even when the pressure within it is considerably below that of the atmosphere. When a stopper is used in this way, it is of advantage to provide ing an internal spring, E, and suction and disit with avalveor aperture thatcan be opened, seats to admit air and relieve the pressure which holds it'closed.

The stoppers, according to my invention, may be of variousforms and-proportions. will describe several convenient forms as examples', referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a section of a stopper having a spring within its bulband inlet and outlet valves. Fig. 2 is a section of a similar stop per with valves of a different kind.-' .Fig.

3 is a section of a stopper with valves, but without spring. Fig. 4 is a section'ofa'stopper with spring and valves and with amouth to cover externally the vessel to which'it is applied. per with additional valve to relieve pressure. Fig. 6 is a section of a stopper through'which astem' passes-such, for instance, as a mucilagc-b'rush. i

'The bulb A, Fig. 1, his slits cut atO andD through ridges of the elastic material,-these operatingas valves-O for suction and D for discharge. A spring, E, within the bulb causes it to expand after being compressedverticall After placing the bulb on the mouth of a 'bottle or vessehit may be compressed and released repeatedly. acting as a pump to exhaust the air in the vessel. Y r

' In the modified form, Fig. 2, the spring E is made nearly to fit the interior of the bulb, so as to dilate itiu all directions. The suction- -valve at G is a ball, and'the discharge-Valve consists of a slit at D, formed by passing a sharp blade transversely through the elastic head. r

In the stopper, Fig.3, the bulb is made with a base, which may be flat or somewhat'hollowed out, as shown, to seat on the top of the vessel that is closed by it. The suction-valve at C is in this case a flap-valve, and the dischargeivalve is a slit at D. 1

Fig. 5 is a sectionof a similar stop- In the modified form, Fig, 4,-the bulb has a base made as a mouth-piece, withv lips to close over the mouth of a vessel. ternal spring, E, a ball suction-valve at O, and several slits at Dto operate as discharges valves.

The stoppershown in Fig.5, besides hav- V charge valves 0 and D, has at the side of its mouth-piece a projection,F, which is partly There is an insevered by a cut at f across a smallpassage V I by the slit f and passage f under the base of the bulb, whereupon the stopper can be readily removed. Obviously a valve of any suitable form, or a plug, might be used for this purpose. In Fig. 6 I have shown a stopper made in accordance with my invention, as above described, and provided with a brush-such, for instance, as a mucilage-brush-the stem or handle G of said brush passing through any suitable part of the stopper.

Although I have shown the springs E as placed within the bulbs A, they may be embedded in the material of the bulbs, and they may be introduced compressed to any desired extent, so as to cause forcible dilation of the bulbs.

Having thus described the nature of myinvention and the best means I know of carrying it out in practice, I claim- 1. A stopper fora bottle, jar, or other vessel,consisting of an elastic hollow bulb having an inlet-opening in the portion to be applied to the vessel provided with a suction-valve,

scribing. witnesses, this 10th day of October,

W. O. CHURCH.

Witnesses: I

OLIVER IMRAY, 7 Patent Agent, 28 Southampton Buildings, London,

JNO. P. M. MILLARD, Clerk to Messrs. Abel & lmmy. Consulting Engineersmnd Patent Agents, 28 Southampton Buildings, London, W. C. 

